Monitor Duty
by RobinxRaven writer
Summary: Even the boring jobs needed someone to do them, but luckily Robin had Raven to keep him company.


A/N

Here I am at four a.m. writing some more robrae because I'm total garbage for this ship. help

~Monitor Duty~

" _This has got to be the most boring job in the universe."_ Was the thought that went through Robin's head for the millionth time that night. He often thought the same thing whenever he was doing paperwork after an attack by one of the mad supervillains or mandatory city council meetings or even during some of the team exercises here at the Tower, but the main difference between those tasks and this current one was: the more effort he put into getting the job done, the sooner it got done. His current task, no matter how good he was at it or how much effort he put towards it, would continue to progress at a snail's pace.

Monitor duty was arguably the easiest job in the Tower, but it was undeniably the most boring one, too. Sitting in front of the monitors and flipping between cameras all over the city for up to ten hours wasn't something that got easier over time or went by faster if he paid more attention. All he could do was sit on the couch all night, pressing the arrows on the remote to cycle through the different views of the city. Cleaning was more exciting, and surprise surprise, the harder he worked to make something clean, the sooner it was clean.

He scoffed to himself and lifted his mug up, annoyed at his current predicament, and took a drink of the tea he'd made himself a little while ago. He went with tea over coffee during monitor duty; if he got himself energized on caffeine he'd just end up going out into the city to find the criminals himself. It had been a long time since he'd patrolled by himself at night; the other Titans hadn't approved of his soloing, asking what he'd do if he ran into a situation where he needed backup and there was none available, then made him promise he wouldn't go off on his own. It was strange to be lectured by the others, but he'd promised them regardless.

The door opened on the other side of the room, and Robin turned his head, raising his hand to greet Raven. She dipped her head in acknowledgement as she walked over to the kitchen. She kept the lights off, no doubt aware of the layout of the room after walking through it so many times. Luckily the room was dimly lit by the many monitors Robin was (supposed to be) watching, and he could see that she was wearing a gray tank top and black boyshorts, as well as the fuzzy brown slippers she'd been gifted for christmas last year by Cyborg. He watched as she gently pressed a hand against the teapot on top of the stove, then grabbed her mug out of the cabinet and filled it up.

Raven took a sip, closing her eyes and resting against the counter behind her. Robin turned around to focus on the monitors again, shifting into a different position as he did so. One hand was draped over the back of the couch, while he brought his leg up so his foot was resting on his knee. He put his mug down on the cushion beside him, taking a moment to make sure it wouldn't fall before picking up the remote and cycling through the cameras again.

He turned to look at Raven as she walked around the couch and sat to his left, her mug still in her hands. She pulled her legs up beneath her, briefly meeting his eyes as she did so. "Anything good on?" She asked as she looked up at the screens.

Robin shook his head. "Same ol, same ol." He replied quietly, not wanting to disturb the silence around them. "Villains only want to strike when we aren't looking for them." Though her eyes stayed on the screen, Raven smirked a little, and Robin smiled slightly in return. "How come you're up?" He asked softly. "Bad dream?"

"Not tonight. Sleep just wants to elude me." She murmured. "I only fell asleep for about two hours earlier, but I woke up and haven't gone back to sleep since." Her head tilted slightly in his direction, her hair falling and framing her face as she did so. "Though it seems like you're about to fall asleep where you sit." Her tone of voice was slightly teasing and slightly honest at the same time, and her expression was similar. Her eyes twinkled and the corner of her lips were pulled up in that almost smile Robin had learned to recognize, but her brow was raised and she seemed to be looking him over.

"This has got to be the most boring job in the universe." He said for the millionth and one time that night. "And I still have four more hours to go." His shoulders dropped as he looked at the clock. "I may have to make coffee soon." He mumbled.

At this Raven frowned, but only slightly. "A full pot of coffee for four hours? Half of it will go to waste." She turned and looked at the kitchen. "'Sides, you have a half pot of tea over there already. I'm sure you'll make it." She turned and looked to Robin as he let out a yawn, covering his mouth with one hand. Her frown stayed its place. "Well, at least you get to sleep in after this."

Robin groaned. "Yeah, but we have that charity event at noon today. And Cyborg won't be awake to take over here until... eight at the latest, which means I'll only get three hours of sleep. If I'm lucky." He moved his hand up to his face and moved the mask out of the way to rub at his eyes, sighing as he realized how tired he was going to be all day during the event. He pulled his mask back down, as another yawn escaped him.

"You don't have to go, you know." Raven said, her voice quiet. "I'm sure they'll understand if you can't be there. As long you give them a good enough reason." She added with a light chuckle.

"I'm the one who suggested we host it, remember? We all have to be there. I can't bail this time." He mumbled, yawning yet again. He picked up his mug from beside him and lifted it to his lips, only to find it almost empty. There was barely more than a few drops in there. The thought of walking all the way to the kitchen for more tea seemed like it would be more exhausting than refreshing. He might have had more energy in him if the sudden surge of small time criminals breaking into cars and smashing ATM machines hadn't come right on the heels of combat practice, which had lasted far longer than normal thanks to an accidental combination of a dumbbell and a flying drone hitting two people and causing Robin to almost lose control of his entire team.

"Go to bed. I'll take over from here." Raven offered softly once he'd turned back around to the monitors. She had placed her mug on the coffee table in front of them, shifting so she was facing him completely.

Robin shook his head almost immediately. "It's alright, Raven. I can handle being tired for a few hours. It won't be the first time."

"You need rest just like everyone else." She countered. "I already got some earlier, so I'll be fine. I can take a nap before we leave later once Cyborg gets up, that way neither of us are too tired for the day's event."

"Raven…" He started, but she narrowed her eyes at him, and he closed his mouth. He felt another wave of fatigue wash over him as the glow of the monitors continued to wash over them. "Fine, I'll get some sleep. But I'm staying out here. I'm too tired to move." He put his mug on the table in front of them next to Raven's, then pulled off his boots and gloves. He unclasped his cape and, after a moment of decision making, chose to lay down on the couch with his head resting in Raven's lap. He pulled his cape over himself into a makeshift blanket.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Raven." He responded, letting his eyes close as he felt her fingers gently run through his hair.


End file.
